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How exciting – you’re buying a couch! It’s a large investment, so before you get carried away and race to shops to buy one, give some thought to a few things and get out your trusty measuring tape.
Your sofa is the most important piece of furniture in your living/TV room - it anchors the entire room, so it’s critical to make sure you choose the right one for you and your space.
Although some people may argue that the television is the most important element of a living room, does a TV have any value without a comfortable sofa to sit on while watching your favourite shows? When choosing the right sofa, it's not just about selecting your preferred colour or estimating the available space.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking about the right sofa to choose for your living spaces and lifestyle.
WHERE WILL THE SOFA BE USED?
It’s important to consider where the sofa will be located within your home. Will it be in a formal living room, a TV room, a children’s area or primarily for teenagers? How much wear and tear will it be subjected to?
The answers to these questions will help you decide on fabric, colour and style that will be the best choice for your needs.
HOW WILL THE SOFA BE USED?
Will it serve as a cosy hub for family gatherings to watch TV or as an elegant seating area for formal discussions in the living room? The decision between a slouchy sofa, one with a chaise, or a structured sofa depends on these factors. A slouchy sofa might provide relaxed comfort, perfect for laid-back family moments, while a structured design exudes sophistication, ideal for more formal occasions. By understanding the intended purpose and types of sofas, you can ensure that the chosen design seamlessly complements its intended function.
WHAT ARE THE IDEAL DIMENSIONS FOR YOUR NEW SOFA?
Sofa size is critical, and it must be factored into your decision-making. Measure the space it is to live in before you start.
If you’re replacing a sofa that has worked for you – keep the dimensions of a couch as close as possible to your existing one, but if you’ve moved house or looking for one to go in a different room, you may want to look at a different size sofa. Look at the width, and depth and don’t forget the height of the back of the sofa and the height of the seats – they all contribute to how the sofa will look in your room.
Perhaps two sofas will be a better option for the shape of your room – you could have a 2 seater sofa and a 3 seater sofa in an L-shape or two 2 seater sofas opposite one another in a more formal space for easy conversations.
Whether you’re shopping online or in a store, get the sofa dimensions in cm and then you’re ready to start visualising how it will look in your home.
It’s a great idea to draw out the measurements (again in cm) on a big piece of paper and cut them out. For an economical option, use pages of a newspaper, stick them together or just lay them on the floor to the size and shape of the sofa you have in mind. You can also mark out the shape of the sofa with painter’s or masking tape. You’ll easily see if there is room for the sofa while allowing ample space for walkways for people to move from one room to another and that there’s also room for your coffee table. You don’t want the sofa to dominate the area, but you also don’t want it to look too small in the size of the room.
You can also mark out the coffee table in front of the sofa at the same time to see how the sizes complement one another. Interior design uses the 2/3 rule.
As we’ve said in our Journal article “How to Pick the Perfect Coffee Table for Your Home”, the allowance between your sofa and the coffee table should be about 46cm – so you can reach the coffee table when sitting on the sofa, and people can sit on the sofa without hitting their legs.
The dimensions of your sofa should be approximately two-thirds of the size of your living room. And your coffee table should ideally be around two-thirds the size of the sofa (or one-third to half the size of the sofa if it includes a chaise). Following this guideline helps maintain a well-proportioned and balanced appearance in your living room.
Now you should know the right dimensions for your sofa, but it should also check all the other boxes so it suits your home — style, price, comfort, quality, and colour.
Happy Shopping!
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